Friday, November 30, 2007

I could stand up and cheer over this comment from Galrahn at Information Dissemination, concerning the USN's archaic and backward thinking shipbuilding strategy:

The Navy appears determined to build a fleet that does not match the stated metrics of its own strategy, a fleet designed before the 9/11 world, a fleet based on the lessons of the cold war, and a fleet that further reduces the industrial capacity of the nations few remaining shipyards in the process. If action is not taken, the further eroding industrial capability supporting the US Navy will not be available in the future when required to do so.

Ouch!! This was the point I was trying to make earlier, concerning Norman Polmar's article which practically aids and abets this Cold War mentality in the Fleet. The thinking seems to be pre-9/11 Rumsfeld, rather than post-Iraq Petraeus, the latter strategy which has become a rounding success.

Galrahn goes on to blame the Bush administration for much of our naval woes, but I think the President might have a valid excuse seeing as how he's been distracted fighting a New World War! The White House has rightly focused on the ground forces in recent years, which are bearing the brunt of the fighting. It is the traditionalist mindset within the Sea Services which, I contend, are their own worse enemies, who treat new ideas and advanced hulls as mere curiosities, who have canceled the Arsenal Ship and threatens to do likewise with the littoral combat ship. The latter vessel meant to keep ship numbers up and battle Al Qaeda pirates in shallow seas is hardly a perfect concept, but far better and more affordable than the few giant dinosaur carriers and DDG-1000 super destroyers of which we place so much of our national treasure and hopes within.